LEARNER GUIDE Humanities

English
Book Two - Creative Responses

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 This is an initiative of the Canberra College Literacy Plan

This booklet is designed to give you information that will help you in completing creative
responses.
This is Book Two in the English Learner Guide four part Assessment Items series.
This is also available on the cLc

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 Table of Contents

What is a Creative Response ............................................... 3

Creative Response Planning Document ............................... 4
More tips and Advice on Producing a Creative Response ..... 7
About Rationales ................................................................. 9
Planning and Drafting Rationales ...................................... 11
Sample of Written Response ............................................. 13
Sample of Visual Response ................................................ 18
Marking Rubric ......................................................................

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 WHAT IS A CREATIVE RESPONSE

A creative response is an assessment item in English that comprises 25% of a unit’s total grade.

The intention of a Creative is to allow you to respond to a text in an imaginative way using a
medium of your choice. While other assessment items are either written or oral, the Creative can
incorporate a range of different forms of communication.

These can be visual such as a series of photographs, a drawing, painting or sculpture. You may
also choose to create an original play, musical composition, film or dance. It may be appropriate
to write a story, poetry, diary entries or something in mixed media, such as an advertisement. In
effect, there are no real restrictions on your choice.

A Creative Response shares a common purpose with all assessment items in English. You need to
demonstrate knowledge and an understanding of the content and themes of the text. To this end
a Creative is supported by a Rationale, in which you’re expected to articulate the aims of your
response and analyse and explain the reasoning behind your chosen medium.

A common difficulty or problem with Creative Responses is that they’re not well executed. You
should use a medium with which you’re comfortable. In effect, don’t draw if you can’t create a
composition that is both meaningful and attractive, or perform a dance if you have no training.
While a good Creative requires imagination it also needs to be completed in a competent fashion.

STEPS TOWARDS A GOOD CREATIVE RESPONSE

1. Read the text

2. Think about the text in relation to the central themes discussed in class.

3. Make a decision about the theme/s you are going to explore.

4. Choose a medium that is capable of imaginatively exploring these themes and

with which you are comfortable.

5. Discuss your ideas with your teacher before you produce a draft. Use the
planning sheets available in this booklet so your discussion has a structured
purpose.

6. Produce a draft of both the Rationale and Creative for your teacher.

7. Review the drafts. Pay particular attention to the relationship between the
text and your response and whether you have substantiated the use of
medium in your Rationale. Make sure you have made direct reference to the
text i.e. that you have used quotes to back up your ideas.

8. Submit on time.

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 CREATIVE RESPONSE PLANNING DOCUMENT
With acknowledgement to Dickson College

Name:_____________________________________________________________________________
Name of text: ______________________________________
You need to go beyond a literal interpretation of the text, which is just following the exact words of
the text and is a lower order thinking skill. Plan to create a fresh, new understanding which will
enhance yours and other’s knowledge of the text.
Some ways you could go beyond the text are:
Look at themes and issues through a new lens and develop ideas to transform the context (the
circumstances or facts which surround a situation), characterisation (the way a character is
presented) or point of view (whose point of view is being presented, to represent what way of doing
things, in what kind of society?)
Think about different ways the situation in this text could have been presented.
Think of new ways to present these themes and ideas. You could consider such things as: what
people were involved, in what time and in what kind of society. Were things fair or realistic? Did
people suffer unnecessarily? Who was in power?

Below, list some of the overarching themes (deeper meanings, issues or ideas) which you could
consider for the creative response:
1.__________________________________________________________________________
2.
___________________________________________________________________________
3.
___________________________________________________________________________

List some aspects of the text to help you consider ways to explore it. Below are some ideas that may
help you:

The main situation in this text was

___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

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It has been presented as
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
It could also have been presented as
___________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
What people?
__________________________________________________________________________
What time?
___________________________________________________________________________
What society?
__________________________________________________________________________
How could you transform or change any of these aspects?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
The idea/theme that strikes me most is
___________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________ __________
This text could be connected to
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
List some ways you are interested exploring the text
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

A symbol is something used to represent something else, like a white dove representing peace, a
heart representing love or a hammer and sickle representing communism. Using symbolism well
shows a deep understanding of the text, because it demonstrates understanding and extrapolation
in an abstract, non-literal way.
List some original, non-clichéd symbols you could use in your creative response:

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1.__________________________________to represent_____________________________
2.__________________________________to represent_____________________________
3.__________________________________to represent_____________________________
4.__________________________________to represent______________________________
5.__________________________________to represent______________________________

You also need to synthesise (combine in a complex whole) the ideas by discussing and linking back to
the text. List some ways you could do this:
1.____________________________________________________________________
2.____________________________________________________________________
3.____________________________________________________________________

List ways you can extrapolate (to infer from what is known to what is unknown) to the wider world
beyond the text by linking the ideas:
1._______________________________________________________________________
2._______________________________________________________________________

3._____________________________________________________________

Remember to provide a meaningful rationale to fully explain the creative response and to provide
textual evidence from the text. See documents on rationales on the cLc

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 SOME MORE TIPS AND ADVICE

A creative response should be very clearly based on the text you are using. It could take the
form of one of the following (or another idea you may have - discuss with your teacher first
as you may have a specific requirement):

picture, collage, mobile, series of photos, picture book, memory box, music
composition, dance, film, a poem (usually one long or at least three shorter poems),
created object, painting. All works should be able to be shown in class.

• Whatever you choose to do should not be a literal creation but an imaginative and
analytical response to the text which adds to the understanding of it and the aspect you
are exploring – NOT a descriptive explanation.

• It should make use of symbolism in some way.

• You may use words as annotations or labels; BUT they should not be needed to explain
the item but rather be an integrated part of the presentation. The focus is on the
creative.

• The purpose of a creative response is to highlight and build on ideas not to simply re
state them, however, the connection to the original source should be clear.

• For example you may choose to do a photo highlighting the personality traits of a
character and might implement symbolic use of colour or objects that the character is
holding. Or you may use a series of symbolic photos.

GETTING STARTED

Allow yourself time and space to think about the text and your response. A long walk
without company, mobile phone and music headphones to interrupt your thoughts,
followed by a quiet time to jot down ideas about possible creative pieces, is a good way to
get started.

Think about and brainstorm a number of possibilities. One of these ideas may set you on
your creative path.

1. Think about themes, characters, events or motifs in the text you are using.
2. You could think about the text as a whole or narrow your focus to even a single
paragraph.
3. Students can give new insights into the literature; aim to add a new dimension of
understanding.
4. Brainstorm some ideas about the text. Here are some examples:
a. Choose a theme to explore and develop based on how different characters
react to each other or a certain event that occurs.

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 b. Choose an event – why is it significant? What happens in it? Who is involved
and why?
c. Choose the most interesting character. What does this character seek? Are
there different sides to their personality? What are they? Try sketching these.
d. Choose a minor character, one who is rarely mentioned, and develop his/her
story.
e. Focus on a theme or motif and think about all the ways it is used in the text.
Choose some of these to look in more detail.
5. Select the idea or aspect you like the most. Think carefully about how the idea or
aspect is developed in the text and how you could utilise it to create a response.
6. Brainstorm ways to present your idea – think beyond the literal
7. Select a medium and work on developing the presentation and ways to incorporate
symbolism to support the analysis and exploration of the major idea.
8. Create a response to the text which explores the aspect you have selected and draws
out your ideas and understanding of how it is explored and developed in the text
9. Think about and decide on what your response represents or symbolises?
10. You may like to explore what happened before or after the time frame of the text
11. Don’t be scared! Creative responses are a fantastic opportunity for you to show what
and how you think without having to use words. Have Fun!

Present your response in a polished form. Remember to check the assessment criteria so
you understand how your piece will be marked.

Allow time for drafting and polishing the rationale. It is a pity to lose a grade (or two) on
a great creative piece because the rationale was a last minute effort.

• Remember to:
• Check your idea with your teacher
• Show drafts
• Use a title page for professional presentation
• Hand it in on time

The Stolen Generataion – A Creative Response, Art-2u, accessed 27/3/2011 http://art-2u.com/the-stolen-generation/

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 CREATIVE RESPONSE RATIONALES
(with acknowledgement to Hawker College and Dickson College)

WHAT ARE THEY?

A rationale is required with all creative responses – written and non-written. Its purpose is
to link your creative response to the text.

Therefore your rationale will be assessed on:

1. The quality of your ideas
2. Your depth of understanding of the text
3. The ability to make links with the text
4. Fluency of expression
5. Use of supporting details

Because the range of possibilities for this assignment is so enormous, students should
consult with their teacher in the writing of the rationale.

Length: 500-600 words

Style: Formal – should be in essay format.
However you may use “I” in your rationale.

SOME QUESTIONS YOU COULD ANSWER

• Why did I choose that form of response – eg short story, poem etc
• Why did I choose that particular part of the text on which to base my response?
• What are the main ideas in the text that I have used in my response?
• How are these ideas conveyed differently or similarly to the text?
• What original aspects have I added. Why did I choose to do those, in relation to the
text?
• Why did I choose that arrangement (if non-written) of my response? What is its
wider significance?
• Why did I choose to use certain symbols?

A SUGGESTED STRUCTURE

Do NOT use headings

Part 1: Introductory comments on the stimulus you are responding to:

• Gives the origins of your ideas (eg reading, discussion, watching a movie
or documentary, news item, personal experience, a combination of the
former)
• Explains the aspect of the text you are exploring

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 • Shows how you were influenced by the text

Part 2: Purpose:
• What themes or issues are you developing?
• What are you trying to achieve (eg an exploration of themes, a critique of the
material, the statement of a personal philosophy, a restatement of themes for a
contemporary audience, raising a question?)

Part 3: Justification of format:

You should explain why you have chosen a particular genre or medium and how it helps
develop the themes and overall purpose of your Creative Response?

Describe, justify and explain exactly what you set out to achieve and how the format and
techniques used enhance these ideas this may include such things as: creation of tone and
atmosphere in a short story; the use of imagery in poetry; colour in a painting; dynamic
quality in dance; contrast; juxtaposition; irony

How does each element of your response link to, support, build on, analyse and/or develop
the ideas or aspect of the text chosen

Give a well thought out explanation and discussion of the symbolism used in the response

If the piece is a narrative, you should explain point of view, mood, setting, choice of
characters, imagery, style, etc.

If the piece is poetry, you should explain the form, imagery, language techniques used, etc.

In a non-written creative response, you should explain elements of composition, colour,

texture etc.

REMEMBER:

This is an exercise in literary analysis - your response must:

Show an analysis of the text(s)include quotes from the text

Show depth of thought; and

NOT be merely descriptive

Your response will be assessed on its presentation and finish.

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 RATIONALE
SUBWRITING – PLANNING AND DRAFTING
HEADING TEMPLATE

Use the table below to start consolidating your thoughts and ideas for your rationale. This
table will help you to unpick exactly what you have done and why.

GENERAL Main Reason for Textual Reasons for Intent

DISCUSSIONS Overarching choice of connections: format (messages;
theme or this theme: chosen – i.e philosophical
idea in the how does exploration;
rationale: this format raising a
help convey question)
your ideas
(not
because it
was easier!)

SPECIFIC Symbolism Connection Ideas Use of Creation of

FEATURES Used to the text conveyed in Language mood, setting,
this feature techniques, characterisation
style, point
of view or
textual
structure
1.

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SPECIFIC Symbolism Connection Ideas Use of Creation of
FEATURES Used to the text conveyed in Language mood, setting,
this feature techniques, characterisation
style, point
of view or
textual
structure
2.

3.

4.

5.

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 EXAMPLES OF EXCELLENCE: CREATIVE RESPONSES
FROM: Glyph, http://glyph.wikispaces.com/Creative+Responses accessed 12th March 2013

WRITTEN CREATIVE RESPONSE TO VONNEGUT’S CAT’S CRADLE

IN GOD'S WILL

Chapter One

A man walked down the busy New York street. His name was Joseph Adams, but he preferred
to be called Joe or Joey. He was possibly once thin and lanky in his teens, but was not as much
now. He had worked out ever since his high school years, and was deceptively muscular,
about 180cm tall and weighed 80 kilos, he walked with the posture of someone confident and
in control. He wore fairly plain clothes, a white shirt underneath a black leather jacket, with
un-faded jeans and sports shoes. He weaved through the thick crowd of faceless people,
keeping a pace a step faster than the person in front of him. His phone started ringing an
unassuming ringtone, and he drew it from his jean pocket answering it almost instantly
“Hello? ...Yeah, I’m free... Yep, sure... On my way now.” Ending the call, he placed the phone
back in his pocket, and looked up and scouted out his surroundings.

Joe kept walking the same way, and walked with the same pattern, but at a noticeably faster
pace. As he approached his goal, people started running the other way in terror, screaming for
their lives. This made his objective more difficult to reach, so he began jogging to make up for
the pushing, now crowd of people, their screams blocking his train of thought and disorienting
him. He would have tried to direct them to safety, tried to help calm the panic, but he knew
his efforts would be in vain. Joe feared for the worst. So he kept pressing forward. He came to
a cross-road and turned the corner of the block he was on. In that moment a car came swiftly
around the corner and Joe jumped quickly to the side to avoid death. He recovered quickly
and looked down the street. Half-way down the street the multi-story buildings on both sides
of the road where engulfed in flames, huge pillars of black smoke were bulging from the
buildings and the street. Joe reached around his back to pull out a handgun, jogging down the
street into the swirling chaos.

Many people were trying their hardest to flee the malicious flames and equally deadly smoke,
blocking Joe from progressing towards his goal. He could do nothing but wait behind an
abandoned, overturned car until it was possible for him to move closer. When he was able to
advance the street was almost completely devoid of life, with the exception of the hysterical
straggler attempting to find safety. Joe stopped every now and again to comfort people that
were in the process of mental breakdowns, but generally kept a good pace. He stopped about
75 metres from ground zero, where the clouds of smoke still spilled into the sky and the
buildings were still ablaze. He found the person that had called him, his Boss, Kyle Dirk. Dirk
was better known as Chief Dirk; however the police officers he commanded affectionately
referred to him as ‘Constable Dirk’, with no disrespect to his true rank. The civilians liked him
and they had no real reason not to. Appearing cold and emotionally detached, everyone knew
that this was due to his wife and young child being killed by an infamous mass murderer that
killed 20 other people. Joe walked up to his superior “Boss, what went on here?”

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“A bombing. Car bomb. Kanhvist extremists. They’re still out there somewhere.” Dirk said all
this with a solemn face. “I swear these Middle Eastern religions are getting more and more
violent. They’re gonna fucking kill us all. September 11, the uprisings in the M.E. and now
this.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Find the bastard that did this. Look in apartments in the slum part of the refugee sector.
That’s where all the Kanhvists are.”
“Will do, sir.”

Two Days Later

Joe walked cautiously through the refugee sector, with long dark trench coat concealing his
slimness. He had a large collar pulled up around his face to cover his clean shaven and
recently washed face, as he walked through a trash ridden area filled with young children and
people that look deathly ill. They were rummaging through garbage to try to find something to
eat or something of value, watching him cautiously. He was close to the border of the refugee
sector, where the tall, multi-story living quarters overlooked a major shopping centre. There
were few windows overlooking the shopping centre, and Joe decided that any terrorist would
want a spot overlooking a highly busy area.

Joe was on the sixth floor of the living quarters, looking for any clue that could lead him to any
terrorist groups. He was told that room 66 had a window overlooking the shopping centre, so
he decided to take a look at that room. He turned a corner down the dark corridor, and saw
something that made his heart skip a beat. A dark cloaked figure with wispy black tendrils
waving silently in the non-existent wind.
The figures eyes were glowing red and seemed to be wavering as if they were two bright
flames. The figure stared right into Joe’s soul, its glowing red eyes seeming to pulse as it did
so. All of a sudden, the figure turned towards the door it was standing in front of and flew
through the door of room 66. Joe shed his coat on the spot, drawing his handgun. He ran
towards the unscathed door of room 66 and looked at the door the demonic figure had just
phased through. Joe took a deep breath and kicked the door with all his might.

The door’s hinges gave in due to their poor quality, the rotting environment and the fact that
they had not been serviced since they were installed. Joe leapt into the room and saw the
demon figure, and as he did so the room suddenly became darker. Joe went to make a noise
but he felt something tighten around his neck. The room became darker still. All that Joe could
now see was the demon figure, with its blazing eyes. The demon spoke in an all-powerful,
deep voice “Joseph Adams; I have come to many before, and I will come to more yet. But I
have chosen YOU for a very special task...”

At this point Joe raised his gun to the figure and shot it square in the head. It didn’t fall and it
didn’t shed a drop of blood. Instead the demon figure disappeared in a shadowy explosion.
Joe felt a presence to his left, and turned to see the demon figure unscathed, and unbothered
by his attempts to silence it. “... I need you to kill some very dangerous men. They have
caused the death of thousands between them. If you don’t take care of them soon they will
send their two religions to war, and cause the death of one third of the world’s population...”
Joe shot the figure again. But he felt something eerily close to him. He felt the breath of death

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on his neck. He couldn’t bring himself to turn around. Joe began sobbing softly. I must be
dead, and this is hell. I had so much to live for, so much to do... Joe thought. Then the demon
spoke into the back of his neck. “I will grant you the one thing that every other man before
you has asked for. Eternal Happiness. All you need to do is kill these two men, and I will give
this blessing. Will you do it?” Joe was on the verge of collapsing from fear. Two words echoed
in his thoughts, eternal happiness. “I’ll take that as a yes.” Joe mustered his remaining
strength to spin around, his gun raised. Before he pulled the trigger, for a split second, he
looked into the eyes of the demon figure, still glowing red, and he heard the voice of the
figure in his head ‘My name is Nihilus.’ Almost as an afterthought he heard in a sinister, hissing
whisper of a voice ‘But you can call me God’.

As Joe pulled the trigger of his gun the world returned to normal. Instead of shooting the
entity known as Nihilus, he had shot an armed Kanhvist extremist. He turned around to face
were Nihilus had stood when he first entered the room. He was in a room full of weapons,
explosives and plans. There were two other dead Kanhvist extremists, both armed and both
dead. Joe called Dirk, and told him he had killed the terrorists. Before leaving the room Joe
took a weapon, a brand new sniper rifle. Somehow he instinctively knew how they had gotten
the new, cutting edge equipment; because the supplier was now one of his targets.

Six Months Later

Joe was in the Middle East. He was hunting his first target, the leader of an infamous Kanhvist
terrorist organization. His name was Abdul Gadderfi and he believed that the Kanhvist Bible
spoke to him, and that he had spoken to God. He believed he was supposed to wipe out every
one except those that believed in the Kanhvist religion, and he had the support of hundreds of
thousands of Kanhvists all over the world. He was in his bunker house in the middle of a rocky,
mountain area, making plans with his advisors right in front of a window. Joe lined up his
sniper rifle’s scope with Abdul Gadderfi’s head, not a bead of sweat dripping from his
disturbingly calm face. Joe somehow knew the way Gadderfi’s head was going to move. He
waited for hours, following the path the terrorist’s head would take exactly, even erratic
movements. At the strike of midday Joe took the shot. He hit the target perfectly and Abdul
Gadderfi’s head exploded on impact. Joe stood up, and walked away. Barely a hundred meters
away on an inaccessible rocky outcrop stood Nihilus. He was watching Joe walk away, the
same way a tiger watches a stranger in its territory; without the stranger’s knowledge of the
tiger’s presence.

Another six months later

Joe’s next target was an American politician, Harold Abbot. He was a conceited Christian man
that was also secretly a white supremacist. He was well-liked among the upper classes
because he would do anything to boost the economy and get rich and was well-liked among
the lower classes because of his strong belief in Christianity as salvation. Abbot was heading a
Christian rally against other religions, especially Kanhvists, at the major shopping centre in
front of the refugee sector. Abbot himself was in the process of making a speech. Joe was in
room 66, on the sixth floor of the living quarters, standing at the window. The window cover,
a sheet of corrugated iron, was tightly shut. Joe felt a presence at the back of his neck, and
herd what was barely a whisper, ‘Eternal Happiness.’ Joe seemed to almost snap out of a kind

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of trance, and almost hesitated, but the moment passed. He aimed down the sights of his
sniper rifle, but all he could see was the window cover. With inhuman precision, and despite
making a blind shot, Joe shot Harold Abbot right through his heart. The shot was so perfect
there was no visible impact, and until the blood stained Abbot’s suit no-one knew anything
was wrong. By then Joe was long gone.

Epilogue

It was a beautiful, sunny, warm day. Joe was walking down the street after seeing a movie
with the love of his life. She was everything he could ever want, and more. And she loved him
back. Nihilus’ promise had made him completely forget all he had done. All was perfect in
Joe’s life. Joe wished he could live in that moment forever.

And Nihilus granted that wish. At that one point in time, a freak bolt of lightning struck Joe
and his love. Joe’s love died upon impact, but Joe did not. Joe was put in a coma. Joe’s Will
said that he wished to be kept alive as long as possible. So the doctor’s kept him in a coma.
For years, and then centuries. In a suspended state, never ageing, but never recovering Joe
stayed in a coma. And always playing through his mind was that perfect moment with the love
of his life.

‘Eternal Happiness.’

Epilogue Part 2
5 years after Joe assassinated his targets Nihilus’ prophecies still came true. The new Kanhvist
terrorist leader believed it was his role to avenge the previous leader by waging full war
against the Western world. A prominent Christian lobbyist convinced almost the entire
Christian world to turn their attention to the Kanhvist’s, who they believe killed Harold Abbot,
and they retaliated with greater force. More then half the world’s population was destroyed
in the ensuing war, dubbed World War III. And Joe remained in his deep coma, continuing his
eternally happy life.

RATIONALE
I have chosen to do a short story as it best represents my ideas to enhance my interpretation
of the text Cat’s Cradle and to draw links to real life.

Some of the significant creative decisions I made for my story include the names of the
characters, the concept of a Divine Deity and religion to control people, and nihilism.

Many of the names of the characters in my story are picked very carefully, and all have a
significant meaning. The main character, Joseph Adams, is taken from two biblical figures,
Saint Joseph and Adam. Saint Joseph is the husband to Mary, and Adam being the first man
God created. Joseph Adams is an amalgamation of these characters personalities, as he both
tries hard to do good and what god says, but is also slain by God, as Adam was. Kyle Dirk’s
namesake was chosen because it was very typically American, and the repetitive use of the
letter “k” and tall, un-rounded letters gives it a kind of “edge”, subconsciously giving the

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reader the perception of a prickly personality. This is enhanced by the singular syllables of
Dirk’s name. Kanhvism, a fictional Middle Eastern religion was given its name through the
word’s “can” and the word “vise” (meaning hold, press, or squeeze). This is symbolic of the
fact that in its fictional world, Kanhvist’s are a threat to the entire Western world. Abdul
Gadderfi’s name is taken from the Libyan leader, Muammar Muhammad al-Gaddafi, and the
common Arabic prefix Abdul, meaning “servant of”. Harold Abbot’s name is taken from Tony
Abbot’s name (who, during his school years, was a white supremacist, anti-homosexuality
advocate, and is a member of the prominent Right-wing political party) and also the Abbot,
who was the head of Abbey’s, or Catholic Monastery. The character of Joe’s girlfriend, the
love of his life, is not given a name, suggesting to the fact she may just be an illusion, and the
entire scene seems implausible and surreal because of how everything seems so perfect.

The concept of an unconventional Divine Deity or religion that uses unconventional manners
of control is also very present in Cat’s Cradle. My story portrays God, Nihilus, as a something
closer to the devil or a malicious spirit, the exact opposite to Christian beliefs. Nihilus however
draws many comparisons to East-Asian religions and myths such as those from China, Japan
and even Aboriginal legends. Many of these mythologies believe that their “Divine Deity” is a
spirit that can be malicious, frightening, and unfair but at the same time be the most sacred
being in existence. Bokononism specifically states that everything in its texts are “shameless
lies”, where most other Christian religions reject anything but their own texts as lies. Through
this both Nihilus and Bokononism are opposites of Christianity.

One of the ideas I incorporated into my story was nihilism, a point made in Cat’s Cradle. Most
of the point about Cat’s Cradle is that whatever you do, the nothing matters. This is proven in
“Epilogue Part 2” of my story in which Nihilus’ prophecy of the future comes true despite Joe
doing exactly as he is told, and in “Epilogue” where Joe is struck by lightning and put in a
permanent coma, despite doing the will of Nihilus.

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VISUAL CREATIVE RESPONSE TO Walt Whitman’s Poetry

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Rationale
The two main themes of Walt Whitman's poetry, which I have explored in my creative
response sculpture, are the worth of the individual within society and the power of
democratic America. The sphere cradled at the top of the sculpture is representative of
the individual and American society as a whole. This is upheld by the wire, a
representation of the nation's ideals of democracy, while the base of the sculpture
symbolises the immorality and harm that Whitman acknowledges exists within the world.
My sculpture takes the recognisable form of a monument, as it is not only a monument
and tribute to both the individual and America, as is Whitman's poetry, but importantly a
monument is also made to be viewed by the general public and is available to all. This is a
concept prominent within Whitman's works, which are written in the vernacular to make
them accessible to the common American man.

The central focus of my sculpture is the sphere,. formed from thirty separate pieces of
paper, each representing the individual within society. Each piece of paper is essential
to the construction and strength of the sphere, which is formed solely by interlocking
these paper pieces, portraying the worth and importance of the everyday individual as
a part of society. In the same way, Whitman celebrates the individual and in particular
the common man. The poem I Hear America Singing offers the descriptions of ordinary
people with occupations ranging from shoemaker and woodcutter to young wife. These
people and their occupations are all relied upon for the functioning of society, just as
each piece within the sphere needs each other piece to keep the whole together. In the
poem there is no distinction made between the worth ofthese people; they are all
considered equally important regardless of occupation or gender. This concept is
furthered in To the Garden the World with the lines "By my side, or back of me, Eve
following, Or in front, and I following her just the same"1 • This firm belief of equality
for the individual is highlighted within my sculpture, with an equal role bestowed upon
each piece in the sphere and an equal importance in making up the whole.

Whitman's poetry expresses the belief that these individual people come together to
form a strong democratic society. This is interpreted within my sculpture by the form
of the sphere as a whole. The poem Excelsior exemplifies this link between the
individual and the society they form. Whitman's use of "I" is representative of both
the individual and society at once, as is seen in the sphere which forms society, a
single entity, but at the same time is still comprised of a multitude of parts, who are
the individual. Each piece the ball is constructed from is decorated with a section of
the American flag, which not only makes the intention and origin of the sculpture .
clear to its viewers, but also symbolises the faith and patriotism in democratic
America. This belief unites the individuals, as in the lines "One's-selfi sing, a simple
separate person, Yet utter the word Democratic, the word En-Masse"2 from the poem
One 's Self I Sing, where Whitman expresses the concept of a people brought together
by their belief in democracy.

The wires which suspend the sphere represent America and the ideals of democracy
that the new nation stands for, with the base showing the evils which exist within the
world. The wires envelop and protect the sphere as America nurtures and protects its
society and the individuals within it. This concept is introduced in Song of the
Universal, where American society is portrayed as "the seed perfection"3 which is
"Amid the measureless grossness and slag, Enclosed and safe within its central
heart".4 The evils of the "measureless grossness and slag" that Whitman acknowledges
are signified by the quotes from Song of the Universal on the base of the sculpture.
These reflect the events that Whitman and American society were facing during the
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Civil War and the resulting hardships and poverty of the Economic Panic of 1873.
These sins and threats are written intentionally in black on dark grey, so that they
fade into the background, highlighting the sphere and wire stand as the main focus.
This technique is employed within Whitman's poetry in Song of the Universal. The
negative influences in life are recognised solely to reassure people that they are safe
from their threat and that America will protect them, portraying America as the
power that will uphold its society. America is described as "the guiding thread so fine,
Along the mighty labyrinth" 5, as the wire thread guides society away from the
existing sins in the base of my sculpture. This protection of America allows its society
to be free as "an uncaught bird" 6 and provides "health, peace, salvation universal" 7
with the ball upheld in the air away from the threats below. It also raises the idea
that America will have a great and positive future. Whitman furthers this idea by the
use of lists within his poetry to create a consciousness of the expanse of America and
of its continual growth. This is expanded in the poem Excelsior as Whitman describes
the achievements of America that will come such as that "I would be the most just
person of the earth"8. This concept of the growth and potential power of America is
explored within my sculpture by the wires which appear to grow from the base,
suggestive of a continual growth, proceeding to raise the sphere and society away
from the immoralities within the world, to new heights and achievements.

Overall my sculpture is, a celebration of America, its society and the individuals it is
comprised of and portrays both America and its society in a positive light, as
Whitman does within his poetry. With the sphere and wire as the main focus, the
sphere is presented as a beautiful creation that is "perfect and enamour'd"9 as well
as "blithe and strong"10while the wire is crisp and glistening as is the new nation,
America.

Bibliography:

References
1- To the Garden the World , lines 10-11
2- One 's Seif I Sing, lines 1-2
3- Song of the Universal , line 7
4- Song of the Universal, lines 5-6
5- Song of the Universal, lines 40-41
6- Song of the Universal, line 30
7- Song of the Universal, line 61
8- Excelsior, line 2
9- Excelsior, line 12
10-1Hear America Singing, line 2

Books
Reynolds, David S., 1996, Walt Whitman's America- A Cultural Biography, Alfred
A. Knopf inc., New York

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Evidence of Process:

Ball and stand prototypes

0
 MARKING RUBRIC

1
Canberra College Learner Guide: English/ Creative Responses